Title: NBK: Different Story

Chapter 11:  Decision

Author: Jaycee

*All needed formalities are in the first chapters!

Don't forget to review! Have fun reading! The ending is not so far behind!

Josie avoided going to the Country Club the next week. She had spent her weekend in bed, telling Gus that she wasn't feeling good.

She had Anita take her place in supervising her crew at the club so that she wouldn't risk running into Sam and Maria. She knows that if she did run into Sam, she would just burst into tears.

So, she kept herself busy, trying to push Sam Coulson out of her thoughts. Over the weekend, she had decided what she was going to do concerning her life.

On Tuesday morning, she strode confidently towards Gus' office, a letter on her hand. She knocked on the door, and heard Gus' voice shout from inside.

"Come in!"

"Gus, good morning!" she greeted as she sat down on a chair in front of Gus' table. "Here! I came to give you this." She handed him the letter.

Gus took it, a puzzled expression on his face. He scanned the letter, his eyes widening as he read it. A few minutes later, he placed down the letter on his desk and looked at Josie. "What was that Geller? Why are you resigning?"

"It was there in the letter Gus. And I hope that you won't make a big deal out of it!" she said.

"I know that it was in the letter. But, I don't buy that crap Geller! You expect me to believe that you got tired of writing in this publication and that you want to have new surroundings? What is the real reason, Josie?" he asked her, his features softening as he saw her struggling not to cry.

Josie shook her head, afraid to look at Gus in fear that she might cry. Gus just nodded, as the reason dawned on him.

At what Anita had told him, Josie was too heartbroken over the fact that Sam Coulson was marrying someone else. He sighed wearily, "Okay, Josie. I accept your resignation. Where are you going?" he asked.

"I don't know. I was thinking, maybe to New York and work at the New York Times." She explained, as she twisted her hands nervously on her lap.

"Let me tell you something, you resigning is not good for me, but if you like, I would talk to my friend from the New York Times and I could put in a good work for you." He offered, as he smiled at her.

Josie smiled at him and ran to his side, giving him a hug. "Thanks Gus! I'll miss you!" she whispered to his ear, a tear escaping her eye.

"Your welcome Josie! Now, get out of my office before I start to cry too." He said as he pulled away from her. Josie nodded and turned to go.

"Josie…" she heard him call as she opened the door.

"Yah Gus?"

"I'll miss you too." He said, smiling sadly. Josie smiled back as she went out of her office, locked her door, and cried.

* * * Josie looked around her apartment on Thursday evening. Everything she owned we're gone, stocked at her parents' house or was in boxes.

She walked around her apartment, feeling sad that after four years on living in that apartment, she was leaving. She knew that what she did was the right decision for her.

She has to forget about Sam. She has finished packing up from her office and she knew that she didn't have anything left to do. She looked at her laptop and realized that she had to tell the public that she's leaving.

Many were touched at the article that she wrote two years ago, and she had quite a following since then. She couldn't just vanish from Chicago without telling them her story and the real reason why she left. She sat in front of her laptop, ready to tell everyone about her life before, now, and tomorrow, and how she really feels, right at that moment.

* * * The next day, she went into Gus' office, her article on hand.

"Hey Gus!" she said.

"Geller! You decided to come back to us?" he asked hopefully.

"No… I'm sorry. I just came to give you my last article. I hope that you'll print it in time with the section I did for Sam and Maria. I want people to know the reason why I'm leaving. I hope that that's okay?" she asked, handing him her article.

"Of course Josie. I'll be more than happy to do that. Is this edited already?" he teased her, knowing well that it already was, since she's the best copy editor he had.

"Of course Gus! I'll be going. My flight's leaving tomorrow and I still have to fix my stuff." She said, as she turned to go.

"Wait, Josie!" he called out. Josie turned around and saw that he has a package in his hand.

"This is for you! Open it!" he said. She reached for the package, and smiled at Gus' sweetness.

It was a framed picture of the entire Chicago Sun Times staff, taken at their Christmas Party last year. Josie felt tears form on her eyelashes. She ran to Gus and hugged him tight.

"Thank you Gus! For everything!"

Gus hugged her tight and whispered, "You're welcome!"

A few seconds later, they pulled apart, and Josie went on her way out of the bullpen. Suddenly, Merkin was in front of her, holding a bag of something. He handed in to her. "Boss, this is for you. I just thought that you might need index cards. I know that you cannot do your notes without them, and that I know that your new assistant in New York might not know it immediately. Good luck!" he said, handing her the bag.

Josie looked at Merkin and gave him a hug. "Thanks Merkin! You're the best assistant anyone's going to have. I'll miss you." She whispered, holding her emotions together. She squeezed him one more time and then turned to go.

* * * It was nighttime when she got home from the office. She decided to go around Chicago; going to the special places she had while she was growing up.

The park, the mall, downtown Chicago. She even drove by South Glen South, where she first met Sam. As she drove around, she felt the enormity of what she's going to do.

She's leaving everything that she loves. 'No! I should do this! It's time for me to move on.' She told herself, over and over, so that she would convince herself.

As she opened the door to her apartment, she was surprised to see Anita and Rob there, sitting on her sofa. "How did you guys get in here?" she asked as Anita led her to the couch. "Nothing's impossible for me Josephine!" Rob teased her, as he claimed her into his arms and hugged her. They sat down, and Rob went to the kitchen and brought in a big chocolate cake.

As he passed slices around for the three of them, Josie asked them, "So, what brings you two here?" she asked.

"Well, I came to bring you this." Anita said as she produced a box from under the table. Josie took it, and slowly opened it.

Inside was a glass ball, with a replica of the Lincoln Park inside. When she shook it, leaves of different colors would fall all over the place. "I had it made so that you'll always remember the place where you truly belong." She explained, her voice breaking as she tried to hold back a sob.

Josie looked at her friend, and then leaned over to squeeze her tight and give her a kiss on the cheek. They released each other and Josie turned to her brother.

"Well, Josephine. I was thinking yesterday of what I should give to you as a going away present so that you'll always remember me. Then, I had this wonderful idea. I had it made for you, so that wherever you go, you'll remember your little brother back here in Chicago." He handed her a box. Josie took it eagerly, and when she opened it, she saw a big black jacket, with the logo of South Glen Rams at the back and the words 'Coach' on the top.

Josie cried as she took her brother for an embrace. He rubbed her back soothingly, trying to console her. She released him and wiped away the tears from her face. "I'll miss you guys! And I promise that I'll be back here for a visit whenever I can, okay! And I will never forget you!" she cried out, and then brought both Rob and Anita close to her in a three way hug.

* * * A few hours later, all the cake was gone, and Josie led her brother and Anita to the door.

"Wait! What time is your flight Josie? And what's the number? So that we could check if you got to New York okay." she asked as she fished in her purse for a pen and a piece of paper.

Josie took it and cut it into two. She wrote, "Flight S41 to New York, 5 P.M.' on the two pieces of paper and handed one each to Rob and Anita. "There! Now, don't you guys worry about me. You don't have to bring me to the airport tomorrow. I'll just go there alone, since if someone accompanies me, I might not go at all. Anita, the wedding is tomorrow, so you're going to be the one there." She flinched as she talked about the wedding. 'Good thing that I'm going an hour before the ceremony.' She thought to herself.

"Understand you guys?" she asked. They nodded and leaned in to have another group hug and went on their way home. Josie looked at their retreating cars sadly, and then went in to finish packing